E-Mobility Services

Case Study on 'E-Mobility Services - new economic models for transport in the digital economy', by Claire Weiller

This report explores the case of electric mobility (e-mobility) services offered in the greater Paris area, where electric cars are available for short-term leasing to any member of the public with a subscription. Among the many emerging electric vehicle “ecosystems” in the world, the case of Autolib’ is one of the first to be fully functional and established within a large European metropolis with an existing customer base. Two perspectives on this “ecosystem” are provided in this study: the existing business model and the potential new strategies.

The report begins with a presentation of the ways in which ICT enhance the value proposition for users by providing sophisticated information on the network and state-of-charge of the vehicle in the Autolib’ business model. It is then suggested that while ICT do add to the customer value proposition in this business model, the full potential of ICT-enabled value creation in this emerging market, especially from the supply-side, is not yet achieved. Untapped opportunities at the interface of electricity supply and ICT include the use of EV batteries for electricity storage and grid management. These are discussed in detail in the last sections of this report.